How can we weep at the abuse of an unwanted pet but not a preborn child?

By Linda Sprunger
for The News-Sentinel

Friday, September 27, 2013 - 12:01 am

Many times in life, I find myself examining my priorities.

Often, I have allowed the stressors of busyness to momentarily crowd out the things that are most important to me. In those moments, it is important for me to pause and regroup, lest I lose sight of what really matters. Culturally we can, and in my opinion need to, do the same.

Perhaps you have seen the commercials or public announcements that are frequently on television. They begin with emotion-evoking music and pictures/videos of sad, often abused animals peering longingly, confusedly into the camera. The narration goes something like this: “If I could speak, I would tell you it hurts … I would ask what I did to deserve this … I would say please give me a chance.”

The spot continues with a challenge: “These are the ones who can’t speak up for themselves … This is your chance to be the voice for those who are crying out for your help!”

Let me make it clear, these commercials bring me to tears. No creature created by God should be abused. People should speak up to end abuse and, when possible, bring love into the painful life of the unwanted and uncared for. My issue with these commercials is that there is, in my opinion, an even more startling form of abuse that large groups of citizens would loudly object to being aired in a similar public forum.

How would our community react if we aired videos, via ultrasound, of tiny preborn babies in the womb? What if the videos clearly pictured tiny hands moving about and little feet with toes that dance? What if one could clearly see the truth that these precious humans, created by God (the only giver of all life), were not just globs of tissue and were not part of a woman’s body (just housed within her body, innocent of any act that placed them there)?

While we allow pictures and videos of unwanted animals on television, and weep at the sight of them, what keeps someone from not recognizing the truth if/when similar pictures and videos are presented for view but this time, the unwanted creature is a helpless preborn baby?

How have our priorities become so misplaced that we elevate the value of an unwanted animal above the value of a human life? That we can fill the airwaves with our concern for unwanted and abused animals, but to speak the painful truth that surrounds abortion is taboo?

I have personally witnessed the lives of hundreds of preborn little ones via ultrasound. I have personally seen babies at 7, 8, 9, 10 weeks gestational age kicking within in their mother’s womb. I can vouch for the fact that these precious ones move independently of their mother.

I have seen their tiny fingers and toes. I have watched them dance. I have seen videos of preborn babies about to be aborted, and I have seen them jerk away from the pain of the suction tube or curette.

If I were to post these images on television, with soft, sad music, and have someone narrate this script: “If I could speak, I would tell you it hurts … I would ask what I did to deserve this … I would say please give me a chance,” how would my community, this world, react? If I challenged you with these words: “These are the ones who can’t speak up for themselves … This is your chance to be the voice for those who are crying out for your help,” what would your response be?

Have our priorities become so askew that we can recognize and weep for the abuse of an unwanted pet but we turn our cold minds off to the abuse of an unwanted preborn child? God help us!